Aristotle's works:: Containing the Master-piece, Directions for Midwives, and Counsel and Advice to Child-bearing Women with Various Useful Remedies
Aristotle · en
A face apt to sweat at every motion, shows the person to be of a hot
constitution, vain and luxurious, of a good stomach, but a bad
understanding, and a worse conversation. A very fleshy face shows the
person to be of a fearful disposition, but a merry heart, and withal
bountiful and discreet, easy to be entreated, and apt to believe every
thing. A lean face, by the rules of physiognomy, denotes the person to
be of a good understanding, but somewhat capricious and disdainful in
his conversation. A little and round face shows a person to be simple,
very fearful, of a bad memory, and a clownish disposition. A plump face
full of carbuncles, shows a man to be a great drinker of wine, vain,
daring, and soon intoxicated. A face red or high-coloured, shows a man
to be much inclined to choler, and one that will be soon angry and not
easily pacified. A long and lean face shows a man to be both bold,
injurious and deceitful. A face every way of a due proportion, denotes
an ingenious person, one fit for any thing, and very much inclined to
what is good. One of a broad full flat face is, by the rules of
physiognomy, of a dull, lumpish, heavy constitution, and that for one
virtue has three vices. A plain flat face, without any rising, shows a
person to be very wise, loving and courtly in his carriage, faithful to
his friend, and patient in adversity. A face sinking down a little, with
crosses in it, inclining to leanness, denotes a person to be very
laborious, but envious, deceitful, false, quarrelsome, vain, and silly,
of a dull and clownish behaviour. A face of a handsome proportion, and
more inclining to fat than lean, shows a person just in Ills actions,
true to his word, civil and respectful in his behaviour, of an
indifferent understanding, and of an extraordinary memory. A crooked
face, long and lean, denotes a man endued with as bad qualities as the
face is with ill features. A face broad about the brows, and sharper and
less as it grows towards the chin, shows a man simple and foolish in
managing his affairs, vain in his discourse, envious in his nature,
deceitful, quarrelsome, and rude in his conversation. A face well
coloured, full of good features, and of an exact symmetry, and a just
proportion in all its parts, and which is delightful to look upon, is
commonly the index of a fairer mind, and shows a person to be well
disposed; but withal declares that virtue is not so impregnably seated
there, but that by strong temptations (especially by the fair sex) it
may be supplanted and overcome by vice. A pale complexion shows the
person not only to be very fickle but very malicious, treacherous,
false, proud, presumptuous, and extremely unfaithful. A face well
coloured shows the person to be of a praiseworthy disposition, and a
sound complexion, easy of belief, and respectful to his friend, ready to
do a courtsey, and very easy to be drawn to any thing.